3.10 Child Protection Review Conferences

1. Purpose

The purpose of a Child Protection Review Conference is:

• To review what has gone well for the child, and the continuing worries for them, since the last conference in respect of their safety, health and development; and within that examine the current level of risk in their lives against the planned outcomes set out in the Child Protection Plan and Assessment. This will include bringing together and analysing information about the child’s health, development and wellbeing and the parent’s capacity to ensure and promote the child’s welfare and safety.
• To ensure that the measures put in place to safeguard the child continue to be effective and appropriate.
• To consider the child’s wishes and feelings.
• To determine the need for further assessment.
• To check that inter-agency co-ordination is functioning effectively.
• Make judgements about the likelihood of the child suffering Significant Harm in the future;
• To consider if the child’s need for safeguarding can be met without a Child Protection Plan in place or not; where it is decided the CP plan should remain, to consider any changes to the plan, set desired outcomes and timescales.

If the Child Protection Plan continues, the relevance of the Category of Significant Harm must be reviewed

2. Criteria for Discontinuing the Child Protection Plan

A child should no longer be the subject of a Child Protection Plan if:

• It is judged that the child is no longer suffering or likely to suffer Significant Harm requiring safeguarding by means of a Child Protection Plan (e.g. the likelihood of harm has been reduced by action taken through the Child Protection Plan; the child and family’s circumstances have changed; all reassessment of the child and family indicates that a Child Protection Plan is not necessary). Under these circumstances, only a Child Protection Review Conference can decide that the Child Protection Plan is no longer necessary.
  
  
• The child and family have moved permanently to another local authority area. In such cases, the receiving local authority should convene a Child Protection Conference within 15 working days of being notified of the move. Only after this event may discontinuing the Child Protection Plan take place in respect of the original local authority’s Child Protection Plan. See 6.5 Children and Families Moving across Boundaries Policy.
  
  
• The child has reached 18 years of age (to end the Child Protection Plan, the local authority should have a review around the child’s birthday, this should be planned in advance), has died, or has permanently left the UK.  In the latter case, all reasonable efforts will be made to liaise with relevant agencies in the receiving country.

In the case of the second and third criteria as listed above, it is permissible for the Designated Manager (Children with a Child Protection Plan) to remove a child’s name from the List without the need to convene a Child Protection Review Conference only when they have consulted with relevant agencies present at the conference which first decided that a Child Protection Plan was required, in which case the decision and the outcome of the consultation should be recorded in the child protection section of the child’s file.

When a child is no longer the subject of a Child Protection Plan, notification should be sent, as a minimum, to all those agency representatives who were invited to attend the Child Protection Conference that led to the Child Protection Plan.

The Conference Chairperson should also write to the parents and the child (depending on his/her age and understanding) advising them of the decision.

De-Plan by Post:

In cases where children on a Child Protection Plan become subject to Care Orders; Interim Care Orders or become looked after under section 20, the Conference Chairperson may seek to remove the Child Protection Plan by post if considered appropriate.  The Conference Chairperson will write to relevant agencies recommending that the Child Protection Plan be removed due to the change in circumstances and that the child’s welfare will continue to be monitored through the Looked After Children (LAC) process.  If there are no objections received the Child Protection Plan will be removed.

The Conference Chairperson will then write to the parents and child (depending on his/her age and understanding) advising them of the decision.

The removal of a Child Protection plan by post should not be considered if the care plan is for the child to be returned home during the period between Child Protection conferences.

3. Frequency

1. The first Review Conference should be held within 3 months of the date of the Initial Conference, except in relation to 3 below.
2. Further reviews must be held at intervals of not more than 6 months, for as long as the child requires a Child Protection Plan.
3. Where an unborn child has been identified as requiring a Child Protection Plan at a pre-birth conference, the first Review Conference should be scheduled to take place within 1 month of the child’s birth or within 3 months of the pre-birth conference whichever is the sooner.
4. An early Review Conference should be considered in the following circumstances:
1. Where there is a further incident or allegation of Significant Harm to a child with a Child Protection Plan.
2. If the Child Protection Plan is failing to protect the child or if there are significant difficulties in carrying out the Plan.
3. Where there is a significant change in the circumstances of the child or family not anticipated at the previous conference and with implications for the safety of the child.
4. Where the previous Conference was inquorate.
   
   

4. Reports

The Lead Social Worker should provide the following documents to the Independent Chairperson five working days before a review conference:

• SW Report to RCPC; SW report will include Chronology and analysis of the child’s lived experience since the last conference (outcomes of current CP Plan)
• Any updated or newly completed assessments

• Child’s wishes and feelings, (may be shared separately via Advocate)
• Updated Genogram where applicable

The social work report must be endorsed, and counter signed by the social work manager.

Information on all children in the household must be provided and the report should be clear about which children are the subjects of the conference.

The report should be provided to parents and older children where appropriate 3 working days before the Review Conferences to enable any factual inaccuracies to be identified, amended and areas of disagreement noted. Comments or suggestions made by the child/parents as a result of seeing the report must be included or conveyed verbally to the conference.

In exceptional circumstances where confidential information cannot be shared with the child or parent(s) beforehand, the Lead Social Worker should seek guidance from their manager and the Conference Chairperson.

Where necessary, the report should be translated into the relevant language or medium, taking account of the language and any sensory or learning difficulties of the child/parents.

The social worker’s report should be provided to the Conference Chairperson at least 5 working days in advance of the Review Conference.

Each member of the Core Group has a responsibility to produce an individual agency report on the child and the family for the Child Protection Review Conference.

All agencies should provide a written report to the Conference Chairperson, via the Conference Convening Team cs.bsupport.bowthorpe@norfolk.gov.uk at least 3 working days in advance of the Review Conference.   

Agencies unable to attend conference must contact the Conference Chairperson directly to share their reason for non-attendance and the arrangements made for an alternative agency representative to attend; a copy of the completed agency report must be forwarded to the Conference Convening Team.

5. Attendance

Attendees should include the Independent Chairperson and Core Group members.

As the police do not routinely attend Review Conferences it is important that any Police involvement with the child, family or household between Conferences is brought to the attention of the Review Conference. Therefore, the police must always provide written information to the meeting.

See 3.6 Initial Child Protection Conferences Procedure.

6. Administration

Members of the Initial Child Protection Conference will be informed at the end of the Conference of the date of the Review Conference, which will also be recorded in the minutes.

The Independent Chairing Team will be responsible for the preparation of the record of the meeting.

The Lead Social Worker will advise parents and children and will have the same responsibilities as a social worker prior to an Initial Child Protection Conference – see Initial Child Protection Conferences Procedure 3.6. section 11, Responsibilities of the Social Worker before conference.

Each Child Protection Review Conference will set the date for the next review and note this date in the record of the meeting.

If a Child Protection Review Conference decides that a child no longer requires a Child Protection Plan, the parents will be informed in person, if present at the meeting and in writing by the Conference Chairperson.

Any dissenting views or disagreements with this decision will be recorded in the minutes.

7. Outcomes

Every Review should consider explicitly whether the child continues to be suffering or likely to suffer Significant Harm and therefore continues to need safeguarding through a formal Child Protection Plan.

If not, then the child should no longer be the subject of a Child Protection Plan.

The Conference Chairperson will have the same decision making powers at the Child Protection Review Conference as at the Initial Child Protection Conferences – see 3.6 Initial Child Protection Conferences, section 13.4, The Decision Making Process of Initial Child Protection Conference procedure.

A child who is no longer the subject of a Child Protection Plan may still require additional support and services and discontinuing the Child Protection Plan should never lead to the automatic withdrawal of help. The Lead Social Worker should discuss with the parents and the child what services might be wanted and required, based upon the re-assessment of the needs of the child and family.

The Lead Social Worker must discuss with parents and child/ren what services continue to be needed, based on the re-assessment of the child and family and a Child Protection Plan made if support continues.

It may be useful for regular meetings, such as Family Support meetings, Family Group meetings or Assessment Planning meetings, to be convened following this decision to provide a formal opportunity to review the provision of services to the child and family and to facilitate ongoing multi-agency support.

8. The Review Conference Decision - Dissent

In cases where there is disagreement regarding the outcome of the Review Conference, the Conference Chairperson will attempt to facilitate the conference to reach a consensus.

The Decision Making Process of Initial Child Protection Conference Procedure sets out the decision-making powers of the Conference Chairperson where there is no consensus; see 3.6 Initial Child Protection Conferences, section 13.4.

If an agency does not agree with a decision or recommendation made at a Review Conference, the dissent will be recorded in the record of the meeting. 

If a professional concludes that a conference decision places a child at risk, they must seek advice from their Designated Professional or Named Professional or manager.

Where the issue is not resolved, the agency may consider taking action under the Resolving Professional Disagreements Policy.

If parents/carers disagree with the Review Conference decision, the Conference Chairperson must further discuss their concerns and explain their rights to challenge under the Complaints and Appeals Policy.

9. Record of Child Protection Conferences

A summarised record of all CP Conferences will be made by administrative staff whose sole task within the Conference is to provide a written record of proceedings in a consistent format. The Conference Chairperson is responsible for ensuring the meeting record reasonably reflects the safeguarding information shared and is an accurate record of the decisions and recommendations made.

The record of Conference should include:

1. Name, date of birth, ethnicity and address of the subject/s of the conference, parents/carers and other adults in the household.
2. Who was invited, who attended the conference and who submitted their apologies.
3. The reason for the conference.
4. A list of written reports available to conference and whether open to parents or not.
5. A summary of the safeguarding information shared in respect of the child’s lived experience since the last CP Conference (what has gone well for the child and the continuing worries for them in respect of their safety, health, and development) and the current level of risk, against the planned outcomes set out in the Child Protection Plan and Assessment.
6. The meeting record will also include any specific views / information parents, children and family members and/or professionals formally request be recorded.
7. Views and wishes of each child.
8. Opinions of agencies on risks and protective factors and whether the child should continue to have a Child Protection Plan.
9. Decision on the threshold for Significant Harm and need for a Child Protection Plan with information outlining the reasons, including the identified category of Significant Harm or the reasons why the child no longer requires a Child Protection Plan.
10. Any changes to the Child Protection Plan, if the child continues to require a Child Protection Plan, or a Child in Need Plan where appropriate.
11. Confirmation of name of Lead Social Worker if child continues to have a Child Protection Plan.
12. Members of the Core Group if child continues to have a Child Protection Plan and the date of the next Core Group meeting.
13. Date of next Child Protection Review Conference.

A record of the decisions and recommendations made will be sent to all those who attended the conference within two working days. The Conference Chairperson will ensure that this notification is sent.

The record of the conference, authorised by the Conference Chairperson, will be sent to all professionals who attended, or were invited and to relevant family members as soon as possible after the Conference.

Copies of the meeting record should be given to the parents, child (if old enough) by the Lead Social Worker where appropriate.

Where a child has attended a Child Protection Conference, the Lead Social Worker must meet with them to share and discuss the relevant sections of the meeting record.

Where parents and/or the child/ren have a sensory disability or where English is not their first language, steps must be taken to ensure that they can understand and make full use of the minutes.

Where a parent or child has been fully excluded from the conference, the decision on what information they should receive will be taken by the Conference Chairperson in consultation with other conference members.

Where a supporter, solicitor, other family member or observer has attended a conference, the minutes will not be distributed to them unless they have a role in the Child Protection Plan and the conference agrees it appropriate.

Conference minutes are confidential and should not be passed to third parties without the consent of the Conference Chairperson and/or Lead Social Worker’s Manager or by a Court Order.

Where there are ongoing criminal proceedings, there should be consultation between the Police and the Crown Prosecution Service in relation to the sharing of the minutes.

The recipient agencies and professionals must retain the minutes of the Child Protection Conference in a manner which ensures their confidentiality and in accordance with their agencies record retention policy. Agencies should determine who it is appropriate to be given access to the minutes – usually this will be restricted to relevant staff, their manager and any person who has a role in the Child Protection Plan.

Subsequent requests for access to the minutes by professionals who do not have a legal or direct role in the case should be referred to the Designated Manager (Children with a Child Protection Plan) or the Conference Chairperson.

Children (if of sufficient age and understanding) and/or parents on their behalf may have the right of access to their records held by the Children’s Social Care Services. Access can be refused if it is likely to result in serious harm to some-one or on other limited grounds, but where the criteria for refusal do not apply, the Independent Chairing Team will release the open access sections of the conference minutes without any further checks with professional colleagues. The closed access section of the minutes will not be released without full consultation with all parties and any disclosure will be in line with the requirements of the Data Protection Act 2018.